Computer science

Computer science is the study of computers and their applications, in all aspects, as well as the mathematical structures that relate to computers and computation.

Only in the last third of the 20th century has computer science been recognized as a separate discipline and developed its own methods and terminology. It has roots in electrical engineering, mathematics and linguistics, and contains elements that are demonstratably scientific, some elements that are pure mathematics, at its practical end becomes engineering, and some people even relate it to an art.

Computer science is closely related to software engineering, information systems, and computer hardware engineering. There is considerable overlap between the topics and practitioners of these fields, though important differences exist. Software engineering emphasizes the construction of large, reliable software systems in a productive, systematic, repeatable manner. Information systems (also termed management information systems) emphasizes operations, specifically the installation, administration, and application of software and computer systems. Computer engineering emphasizes the construction of computer hardware. Computer science emphasizes the analysis and theory of the building blocks used by software engineers, Information system administrators, and computer hardware engineers.

Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes

- Edsger Dijkstra

Major subfields

Mathematical foundations

• Boolean algebra
• Computer numbering formats
• Discrete mathematics
• Symbolic logic

Theoretical computer science

• Algorithmic information theory
• Algorithms
• Compilers
• Complexity theory
• Computability theory
• Cryptography
• Denotational semantics
• Graph theory
• Information theory
• Lexical Analysis
• Microprogramming
• Operating systems
• Theory of computation (or theoretical computer science)
• Type theory

Applied computer science

• Artificial intelligence
• Bioinformatics
• Computer algebra
• Computer architecture
• Computer graphics
• Computer networks
• Computer program
• Computer programming
• Computer security
• Databases
• Data structures
• Distributed computing
• Information retrieval
• Operating Systems
• Parallel Programming
• Programming languages
• Program specification
• Program verification
• Robotics
• Software engineering
• Sensor Networks
• Usability engineering

Specific techniques

• Benchmark
• Computer vision
• Collision Detection
• Data compression
• Data structures
• Data acquisition
• Design patterns
• Digital signal processing
• File formats
• Human-computer interaction
• Information security
• Internet
• Online computations and algorithms
• Optimization
• Software metrics
• VLSI design

See Also

• computing
• computer scientist
• ACM Turing Award
• IEEE John von Neumann Medal
• Computer jargon
• Computer slang
• Computer science basic topics
• computing analogies